Almost $17K in fines for illegal hunting, fishing in northern Ont.
Three men from southern Ontario and a man from Texas have been fined a total of $16,700 for illegal hunting and fishing in September 2021.
The group was in an area north of Geraldton in northwestern Ontario. A news release Friday from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said the group was caught thanks to air patrols by conservation officers.
On Sept. 30, 2021, conservation officers landed at Kellow Lake, a remote area north of Geraldton, and questioned the group.
Wayne Pottle of Biarcliffe, Tex., told the officers he was hunting bear but did not have a bear tag with him.
Harry Gerritsen of Caledonia told them he was hunting moose but did not have a moose licence. Randy Gerritsen of Waterdown “refused to provide relevant information that he was legally required to provide to conservation officers, obstructing them from conducting their inspection,” the news release said.
“The investigation and DNA testing revealed Harry Gerritsen possessed 11 walleye over his limit, Randy Gerritsen possessed 11 walleye over his limit and Jeffrey Reagan possessed 13 walleye over his limit.”
Reagan of Combermere was convicted of possessing over his limit of walleye and was fined $2,600.
Randy Gerritsen pleaded guilty to obstruction of a conservation officer, possessing fish that have been skinned so the species is not identifiable and possessing over his limit of walleye. He was fined a total of $7,550.
Harry Gerritsen pleaded guilty to hunting moose without a licence, possessing fish that have been skinned so the species is not identifiable and possessing over his limit of walleye. He was fined a total of $6,550.
And Pottle was convicted of possessing fish that have been skinned so the species is not identifiable and for hunting without a licence on his person. He was fined a total of $1,500.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Jeffrey Justice of the Peace Nancy Tulloch heard the Gerritsen portion of the case remotely in the Ontario Court of Justice, Geraldton, on Jan. 10. Justice of the Peace Tobey Meyers heard the Reagan and Pottle portion of the case remotely in the Ontario Court of Justice in Geraldton on Feb. 27.
To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, members of the public can call the ministry TIPS line toll-free at 1-877-847-7667.
To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unsolved cases, please click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
WATCH Why today's inflation numbers are good if you have a mortgage
New inflation data is 'welcome news' for consumers and an economist says it could signal the possibility for a interest rate cut as several core measures also continue to ease.
'Miscommunication' Liberals say of Speaker Fergus event invite Conservatives call partisan
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus is facing fresh Conservative-led calls to resign, this time over "very partisan" and 'inflammatory' language used – the Liberals say mistakenly – to promote an upcoming event.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Loblaw boycott organizers say they plan to keep movement going past May
The organizers of a month-long boycott of Loblaw-owned stores say they've decided to extend the boycott past May.
Trump campaign calls 'The Apprentice' 'blatantly false,' director offers to screen it for him
Donald Trump's reelection campaign called 'The Apprentice,' a film about the former U.S. president in the 1980s, 'pure fiction' and vowed legal action following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. But director Ali Abbasi is offering to privately screen the film for Trump.
Winnipeg trial hears admitted serial killer searched web for serial killer definition
The trial of a Winnipeg man who has admitted to killing four women has heard he searched the internet to look up the definition of what it means to be a serial killer.